corky is here

I have been waiting for this day when Corky would appear, and I'm glad I was there when she showed up today. She looks ever so pretty - such a pretty yellow!

Her sisters should be arriving the rest of this week. Perhaps I will see them all on Independence Day?

heirloom irises and daylilies

I planted the heirloom irises and daylilies I received from one of my favorite places to obtain flower bulbs. They do a great job carefully packaging the various rhizomes. The irises and daylilies were shipped with their roots intact and clean. The irises were very different looking from the irises I bought and planted last autumn. The ones I got last year will most likely shoot one flower stalk whereas these look like they may shoot multiple flower stalks.









Planting the bare roots of the irises and daylilies helped me to understand what is required for these plants to grow. They seem to require a lot of space at the roots. I'm also weary about exposing the iris rhizomes though that is what was instructed when planting.





I'm looking forward to them growing tall and flowering. I got some pretty colors. These include

garden plans 2013

We are going to cut back on the "grow your own" in 2013. We will buy a limited number of starter plants, which will include heirloom tomatoes and a variety of chili peppers. We may include a few herbs like basil and lemongrass though our basil crop from last year was ruined by leaf miners. I love lemongrass! Besides enjoying them as an aromatic in cooking, I like them as ornamental grass. And at the end of the growing season, I collect the dried grass to use as mulch.

In addition to the fall planted bulbs, which have already begun to pop from the dirt filled planters on the balcony, I think we will grow more flowers in 2013. Flowers in summer will be great especially if they are fragrant! We tried to grow dahlias last year. They started out great but was infected with both the white powdery mildew, spider mites, and aphids. I'm going to try to grow dahlias again this year. Other flowers we will grow in 2013 are daylilies, gladiolus, and more irises though I planted some in the fall for what I assume will bloom in the spring? I guess I will find out sooner or later.

 

Hopefully growing flowers on the balcony will make a nice little haven for us to enjoy. And in order to enjoy the garden, we will need a place to sit so acquiring furniture is a must for 2013. I have had my eyes on this French bistro set by Fermob.

Here's to an exciting new gardening year!